It is frequently necessary to move a very large and/or heavy object such as a tree with a large rootball, after it has been removed from the ground. The same need arises with respect to moving other heavy objects such as rocks along the ground from one location to another, for example from its original location to another location in the same general area or to a location where it can be mounted on a vehicle for transport to a distant location.
Apparatus and methods for effecting movement of such objects are now relatively limited. Usually, for objects which are too large and/or heavy to be carried by a person, but not extraordinarily large or heavy, a hand cart is used. However, it is often difficult to load such an object onto a hand cart. Also, once the object is loaded onto the hand cart, the weight of the object makes it difficult to move the hand cart and object along the ground.
If the large object is a rock, movement can be accomplished by using heavy equipment such as a front-end loader or a skid-steer. However, skid-steers are relatively heavy and expensive and the plate of the skid-steer would tend to damage the ground. If the large object is a tree, then it would be necessary to use heavy equipment in the form of a tree excavator and transplanter, an example of which is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,530,333. U.S. Pat. No. 2,258,289 shows an apparatus in the form of a trailer attachable to a vehicle for transporting a tree a long distance. However, this patent does not describe how the tree is moved along the ground to the trailer, and its purpose is essentially to turn a tree from a mounted horizontal position to a mounted position tilted upwardly to facilitate long distance travel of the tree.
Thus, there exists a need for improvements in an apparatus and method for loading a large and/or heavy object at one location and moving it over the ground to another location where it can be easily unloaded onto the ground or onto a vehicle.